Heating and cooling apparatus for a building

ABSTRACT

A heating and cooling structural arrangement for a building, such as a house, wherein the interior of the house is caused to assume the temperature of the ground. A liquid reservoir is located in the ground. A pump is to move liquid from the reservoir to a series of panels which are mounted as part of the interior wall structure of the building. If the ground temperature is 70 degrees, this means that the interior temperature of the house should also become 70 degrees. In the winter, the interior of the building would normally be heated and in the summer, the interior of the building would normally be cooled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known that even during the coldest winter, the ground sixinches or lower below the surface is substantially at a highertemperature than the outside air. Also, even during the hottest summer,the ground six or more inches below the surface is substantially coolerthan the outside air. Geologists consider that the permanent "no changein temperature" begins at five feet below the ground surface. In thisera of energy conservation, if some means could be employed to transferthe temperature below the ground to the inside of houses and buildings,that substantially less heating and cooling energy would be required.

Previous to this invention, there has been no known viable structurewhich could achieve the above-noted objectives. It is to be understoodthat this invention is not particularly useful in northern climates(Canada, for example) as the ground water is too cold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The structure of this invention relates to a system which is to beemployed in combination with the ground and with the inside of abuilding or house. The interior walls of a house or building are to belined with a plurality of panels. Each panel is hollow and is capable ofcontaining liquid. Each panel has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet.The liquid outlet of the first panel is connected to the liquid inlet ofthe second panel and so forth. The liquid inlet of the first panel issupplied liquid by means of a pump which moves the liquid from a liquidreservoir. The liquid in the liquid reservoir is to assume thetemperature of the ground. Each of the panels are constructed of heatconducting material so as to transfer the temperature of the water tothe air in the house or building. Since it is likely, especially inhumid climates, that condensate will collect on the exterior of thepanels, located at the lower edge of the assembled panels there is acondensate collector. This condensate collector also functions as thebaseboard for the floor of the house or building. This baseboard is tobe manually deflectable in order to facilitate cleaning.

The primary objective of this invention is to construct an overallstructure which is to be employed in combination with a conventionalhouse or building which is to facilitate heating of the building intimes of cold weather and cooling of the building in times of hotweather.

Another objective of this invention is to construct an assemblage of fewparts which can be manufactured relatively inexpensively, therebyholding the overall retail cost of the structure as low as possible.

Another objective of this invention is to construct an overall energysaving structure for a house or building which can be readilyretrofitted to existing houses or buildings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the structure of this invention as itwould be employed in connection with a house;

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away, isometric view of a single panel whichis to be located as the interior wall of the house or building of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a segmental, cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away, elevational view of a series ofarrangements of the panels shown in FIG. 2 which would be constructed toform the interior wall of the building in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partially cut-away, isometric view of a series of panelsforming an interior wall showing how the panel arrangement compensatesfor window areas in a wall of the house of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a segmental, cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 ofFIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a single panel which is formed into aspecific shape which is to be used in conjunction with a plurality ofother panels to form a geodesic dome building or house.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SHOWN EMBODIMENT

Referring particularly to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 aconventional house or building 10 which is constructed on the ground(not shown). The ground has been removed in order to facilitate showingof the entire overall structural arrangement of this invention. Theinterior walls of the building or house 10 are to include a panelarrangement formed of a series of separate panels 12. Each panel 12 isto be constructed to include an enlarged internal chamber 14. The outersurface 16 of the panel 12 is constructed of a thermally insulatedmaterial, such as a plastic foam. The inner surface 18 is to beconstructed of a thermally conductive material, such as a metal. Theinner surface 18 is to form the interior wall of the house or building10.

Each panel 12 includes an inlet 20. Also, each panel 12 includes anoutlet in the form of an outlet pipe 22. Both the inlet 20 and theoutlet pipe 22 are located within the interior chamber 14. The inlet 20is located adjacent the bottom surface of the interior chamber 14. Theoutlet pipe 22 includes an opening 24. The opening 24 is locateddirectly adjacent the top surface of the interior chamber 14. The reasonfor this is because liquid is to be conducted into the bottom of theinterior chamber 14 and then must move entirely through the interiorchamber 14 to enter into the opening 24 and down the outlet pipe 22. Theliquid then moves through a connecting pipe 26 into the inlet 20 of thenext panel 12 in series. This is so that the liquid within the chamber14 is to pass entirely through the length of each panel 12 in order topermit maximum transfer of heat energy from each panel 12 to theinterior of the house or building 10. This transfer of heat energy isaccomplished primarily by radiation rather than by conduction.Conduction is the conventional mode of heating or cooling within housesof buildings at the present time. The radiation occurs by the air withinthe house 10 interacting with the surface 18 which has assumed thetemperature of the liquid 28 which is located within the interiorchamber 14 of each panel 12. There will be a minimal exchange of heat byconduction due to air circulation across the walls.

The first panel 12 in the series of panels that is located within thehouse 10 is to be connected through a main liquid inlet pipe 30 whichextends exteriorly of the house 10. This pipe 30 will normally belocated under the ground. The liquid is moved through the pipe 30 bymeans of a conventional pump 32. In between the pump 32 and the house 10is located a fluid expansion chamber 34. This expansion chamber 34 is toprotect the overall system to compensate for any slight variances inexpanding of the liquid 28.

The pump 32 is to receive liquid from the liquid reservoir 36. Thisliquid reservoir is to be constructed of a thermally conductive wallsurface and is to be located in the ground at least six inches below thesurface. The last panel in the series of panels in the house 10 is todischarge the liquid into an outlet pipe 38 which in turn returns theliquid to the reservoir 36. The pump 32 and the fluid expansion chamber34 are deemed to be conventional equipment and are not explained in anyspecific detail in regard to this invention.

In arranging of the panels 12 in the side-by-side arrangement as shownin FIG. 5, it may be necessary to employ a "dead panel" in order tocompensate for windows 40 and also to compensate for different lengthsof walls in the house 10. Such a "dead panel" 42 is shown in FIG. 5which is merely for the purpose of constructing a contiguous surfacebetween the adjacent panels 12. The dead panel 42 is not to contain anyliquid and does not function as do the panels 12. The loss of thethermally conductive properties of the dead panels is of littleconsequence.

In especially humid environments, there will be a tendency forcondensate 44 to collect on the exterior of the surface 18. Thiscondensate 44 will have a natural tendency to flow to the lower portionof each panel 12. An elongated plastic member 46 is to be mounted tofunction as the baseboard of the arranged panels 12. This baseboard 46is slightly spaced from the surface 18. This slight spacing permits thecondensate 44 to pass therebetween and to be collected at the bottom ofthe member 46. Collected condensate can then be conducted to anappropriate discharge opening and be discharged into the exterior of thehouse 10 or can be readily dissapated by evaporation. The baseboard 46is to be manually flexible away from the surface 18 so as to permitentry of appropriate cleaning paraphernalia to facilitate keeping of thecondensate collecting section clean.

The structure shown in FIGS. 1-6 is directed in particular to aretrofitting an existing housing structure. It is possible to constructa house or building directly incorporating the panels 12 of thisinvention. Also, it is possible to construct a building or house into adifferent shape such as a geodesic dome. Referring particularly to FIG.7, an example of a type of shaped panel 48 is shown which can be used inthe constructing of a geodesic dome. The panel 48 has an interiorchamber 50. Within this interior chamber 50 and substantially centrallylocated therein, is a baffle arrangement 52. Water is to enter into thechamber 50 through inlet 20' and is to be discharged through outlet pipe22'. The liquid 54 entering the chamber 50 must be conducted from thebottom of the geodesic panel 48 around the baffle 52 and then into theopening 56 formed within the upper end of the pipe 22'.

What is claimed is:
 1. In combination with a building, said buildingbeing mounted on the ground, said building having an enclosed interior,said interior being enclosed by a side wall assembly, said side wallassembly to include:a panel assembly located within said interior, saidpanel assembly comprising at least one substantially planar panel havingan enlarged exterior surface area, said panel being completely enclosedand having an inner chamber, said panel having a top and a bottom, saidpanel being constructed of a heat conductive material, said innerchamber being adapted to contain a liquid; a liquid inlet formed withinsaid panel, a liquid outlet formed within said panel; a liquid reservoirlocated within said ground, said liquid reservoir having a wallstructure, said wall structure being heat conductive to thereby causeliquid located within said liquid reservoir to assume substantially thesame temperature as said ground; p1 pump means located between saidliquid reservoir and said panel, said pump means to move a liquid fromsaid liquid reservoir through said inlet into said panel, liquid withinsaid panel to be conducted through said outlet and back to said liquidreservoir; and said panel including a condensate collector locatedadjacent said bottom, said condensate collector to collect condensatewhich forms on the exterior surface of said panel.
 2. The combination asdefined in claim 1 wherein:said liquid inlet being located adjacent saidbottom, said liquid outlet being located adjacent said top, wherebyliquid is required to pass entirely through said panel before beingconducted from said inlet to said outlet.
 3. In combination with abuilding, said building being mounted on the ground, said buildinghaving an enclosed interior, said interior being enclosed by a side wallassembly, said side wall assembly to include:a panel assembly locatedwithin said interior, said panel assembly comprising at least onesubstantially planar panel having an enlarged exterior surface area,said panel being completely enclosed and having an inner chamber, saidpanel having a top and a bottom, said panel being constructed of a heatconductive material, said inner chamber being adapted to contain aliquid; a liquid inlet formed within said panel, a liquid outlet formedwithin said panel; a liquid reservoir located within said ground, saidliquid reservoir having a wall structure, said wall structure being heatconductive to thereby cause liquid located within said liquid reservoirto assume substantially the same temperature as said ground; pump meanslocated between said liquid reservoir and said panel, said pump means tomove a liquid from said liquid reservoir through said inlet into saidpanel, liquid within said panel to be conducted through said outlet andback to said liquid reservoir; said panel assembly comprises a pluralityof separate panels which are connected together in a series arrangement,whereby an outlet of a said panel is connected directly into the inletof the next succeeding said panel; and said panels being arranged intothe shape of a geodesic dome.
 4. The combination as defined in claim 3wherein:said liquid inlet being located adjacent said bottom, saidliquid outlet being located adjacent said top, whereby liquid isrequired to pass entirely through said panel before being conducted fromsaid inlet to said outlet.
 5. In combination with a building, saidbuilding having an enclosed interior, said interior being enclosed by aside wall assembly, said side wall assembly to include:a panel assemblylocated within said interior, said panel assembly comprising at leastone substantially planar panel having an enlarged surface area, saidpanel being completely enclosed and having an inner chamber, said panelhaving a top and a bottom, said panel being constructed of a heatconductive material, said inner chamber being adapted to contain aliquid; a liquid inlet formed within said panel, a liquid outlet formedwithin said panel; a liquid reservoir located within said ground, saidliquid reservoir having a wall structure, said wall structure being heatconductive to thereby cause liquid located within said liquid reservoirto assume substantially the same temperature as said ground; pump meanslocated between said liquid reservoir and said panel, said pump means tomove a liquid from said liquid reservoir through said outlet and back tosaid liquid reservoir; said panel assembly comprises a plurality ofseparate panels which are connected together in a series arrangement,whereby an outlet of said panel is connected directly into the inlet ofthe next succeeding said panel; said liquid inlet being located adjacentsaid bottom, said liquid outlet being located adjacent said top, wherebyliquid is required to pass entirely through said panel before beingconducted from said inlet to said outlet; and said panel including acondensate collector located adjacent said bottom of said condensatecollector to collect condensate which forms on the exterior surface ofsaid panel.